#yall need to keep me humble/realistic.

[sanguinaryrot]

sorry im not as hairy as the other bears and my beard isnt as full. im sorry. do you still love me

[nightswithkookmin]

Did you watch the recent Run BTS episode? It filled me with such joy.

They're such a bunch of chaotic individuals when they're together in that environment. My brain is out of practice speed reading the multiple translations! 😆

The editors of Run BTS are *chefs kiss*. Hobi & Namjoon are their biggest victims.

And JK imitating Bam, then Jimin immediately calling him 'Bamie'. 🥰 Plus JK's, "Is he leaving? What did he say?" My delulu mind is convinced JK went to Lotte World because he thought that's where Jimin would go. 🤭

Mi love your brain

Okay, I'm finna watch it😆

If you are free now let's have a watch party 🥳

I'll just keep updating this post with my live reaction.

LET'S GOOOOO

Aaaaaaaaahhhh- NOT THIS SONG PLAYING AT THE START! LAWD I'M IN MY FEEELSSSSS!!!!

HOLD. I need to twerk on the beat!

RUN BULLET PROOF RUN RUN BULLET PROOF

Enough time has passed to make a baby?? Boy if you don't stop🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

No but JUNGKOOK?💀

This is such a weird habit to have not gonna lie. Change Jimin's position in a line up and he would almost always so naturally and so unconsciously turn to face him. That's his north star 🌟 right there. This is too much for me to handle🤧

PARK JIMIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Let me play the beast to your beauty!

Lets role play. I'll wear red you wear blue🥺

Naa JIMIN! ITS JUST ONE MINUTE IN.

YALL COME GET YOUR BIAS!

Literally one minute in and he's already feeding into Jungkook's praise Kink. SO SICKENING. For a "submissive gay looking guy" he sure knows how to TOP💀

Just one of these days Jimin will look into the camera and tell me I'm a good girl naughty kitten. Fingers crossed on the universe. It will happen. Thank you baby Jesus for an answered prayer. In Jesus' name, Mwah

Eh????

Where is everyone?? OK. I'm taking a break. Brb

Sorry, I took a long bathroom break- which is a lie but imma need yall to believe it- so let's carry on.

I love how JM talks about growth and just how pragmatic and realistic he is in assuming change is erratic and inevitable. People change in the minutetest of ways every second. Yet some people in the Fandom hold them to their past selves everyday, adamant to accept they may feel different about certain "friendship" bonds they formed at the inception of their band, may have gotten used to or over their fear of intimacy and now can let themselves be vulnerable in a way that doesn't threaten their sense of self, may have recoiled a bit and found a new appreciation for their privacy and overall might know the script a little bit better now to control the narrative.

And the contrast between Jikook is marvelous. Its been so long I forgot how merely watching them on screen feels so wholesome. Look how effortlessly JM exudes such wild dark feminine enery which is usually in his resting face but can switch it up into this aegyo childlike character sprinkled with performative innocent- yet he is far from innocent. A power damsel is what he is.

Contrastinly, you have Jungkook who for all intent and purposes looks far from innocent, strong, traditionally "MASCULINE" but has such an innocent almost childlike soul. I want to hug them both.

[Aside. You guys, this is weird huh? I'm shy sharing my raw thoughts with you like this☺ This is how people start thinking I'm weird and shit but I'm just a very passionate person]

Update.

There's something really warm and humbling about Namjoon asking Jungkook for answers and telling him he is so smart.

Oops. There it is, the OT7 Jungkook praise chorus🤣🤣🤣

I swear if he doesn't have a praise Kink he's certainly being conditioned to develop one🤣🤣🤣🤣

GOLDY

[projectshadovv]

going through Silent’s story so far, and can I please offer some feedback? Don’t take this to heart or as an insult! I genuinely want to see this story reach its full potential! I’m tryna see how silent is good for the clan, im not blaming her, but a story would usually point out how shit isnt her fault, but it feels like the story is indirectly blaming her for everything that's happened

like, i feel you want Silentshadow to be a nuanced character who sometimes makes the wrong choices that came from a bad place, as well as dark and gritty - But….we haven't been given a reason to care about her or her goals, and her struggles.

And from learning about more of the story’s other characters, Russetstrom and Auburnfur are more interesting characters to relate to; their struggles feel genuine and I can understand why they do the things they do.

I’m not saying to make Silentshadow more of a hero, anti-heros/gritty characters can work. But the overall vibes silent gives is melodramatic and not…. relatable? if that’s how I can even word it, like, maybe having her not becoming leader and being a part of a prophecy can help make her more relatable, have her work hard for her goals and achievements and show readers that you don’t need to be in a high position to make a difference - like, maybe she isn’t the chosen one, but the chosen one of the prophecy (mudnose maybe?) does things wrong or twists the prophecy’s wording to fit his own agenda? I don’t know, just ideas I’m rambling about. Again, I personally just want to see this story reach it’s potential. After all, it’s natural stories usually change plots dramatically before a plot is decided on and finalised.

Again! Please don’t take this to heart! I just wanted to give feedback.

I appreciate the thought and care that made you want to send this ask, and i know it comes from a genuine place, and i do understand your POV, but try not to fret too much! Silentshadow is a very deeply rooted and personal character to me, I used to project thru her, and i still sometimes do, the experiences Ive given her I've tried to evolve into more story like and plot important events.

And also, theres a lot to the overall story you guys don't know about, I have a lot more stuff in the back I just, either havent felt the need to share, or havent been able to- and Silentshadow's story is a story for me, not so much as me trying to make this story FOR anyone else. Its not FOR you, i'm just simply sharing what i want to share with yall, and if yall like it, awesome! If not, totally understandable.

But since you in particular want to see the story flourish, I'm afraid you'll just have to find it in you to keep a lookout. I'm not going to justify or try to prove anything to anyone, not because I don't have everything figured out (although yes some things i dont have figured out), but that, I'm just having fun with it! Silentshadow doesnt have to be your favorite character! She's just a creature trying to live (sometimes suffer- she's intentionally edgy like that)

Try to think of the story as a very loose allegory for dismantling the rich upperclass/goverment. The clans in general are a very basic representation of fascism that an outsider like Silentshadow growing up, wonders what the point of Clans and borders are if all they do is prevent other cats who aren't them from surviving. They took over the forest that all cats were once free to come and go as they pleased (namely cats like Silentshadows fathers, who were left to starve or be chased out or to seek out kittypet life), but now the forests and mountains and rivers are off limits to any resource the clan cats have staked an imaginary claim on.

Forced to live in Clan society, Silentshadow grows angry and bitter at the life she's given and expected to live up to by cats and dead ancestors who aren't even her own. She's treated as a weapon, as someone to use as a trumpcard in the future, not as a clanmate or friend or family member and the realization of that darkens her heart. She's taken in by (clan)cat's who also want to overthrow the clans, but more for their own greed and lust for power and just the wrong reasons.

Silentshadow, as a kit, always wanted to see the Clans come together as one, or to let those who want to roam freely do so. A kit's fantasy dream. But it gets lost along the way when cats like Mudnose and Bearstar are more immediate problems and take up more of the story's time.

Basically though, Silentshadow does humble up and becomes leader to protect the ones she loves, and recruits many good cats along the way that help her dream become a reality. And while it's not realistic that every single Clan cat would be up to simply being a Colony, theyre at least free to do what they want, so long as it doesnt interfere in other's welfare.

There was originally going to be like, have all the leaders still, just all leading together, and Silentshadow is one of them, but I think i'll make it so she decides she never wanted to be leader (more like, she had to), she just wanted to live freely and made the stand to fight for her and others' right to. I think when everything has calmed, her, Cometshine, and Auburnfur decide to travel- something Silentshadow's father loved to do but couldnt since he was raising his kit, and run off into the sunset.

That's a super super super messy and vague way to explain the story, its a very long and drawn out story, but you can kinda tell theres a lot i just dont have time to write out- just this took me like 2 hours. Just trust me when i say theyre all good characters, not the BEST written or have the best reasons or motives, but theyre good and for understandable and SOMETIMES relateable (or not) reasons. Maybe you dont relate to Silentshadow, ok! Maybe Cometshine, maybe Foggycloud, maybe Auburnfur and Russetstorm like you said. I'm trying to make a diverse cast for everyone and also NOT everyone

[comicteaparty]

March 9th-March 15th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from March 9th, 2020 to March 15th, 2020.  The chat focused on HoverGirls by Geneva Bowers.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on HoverGirls by Geneva Bowers~! (https://hovergirls.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until March 15th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

It's so eye catching!

The bold color scheme immediately creates a strong identity for the comic

The contrast between the two MCs is

I'll comment more when I've read past literally just the first page lol

eli [a winged tale]

Wow I love the art! Very beautiful palette and interesting characters right off the bat (pun intended!). Great dynamics between our two mains and love the magic so far!

mcapriglione (Falconhyrste)

yall I heard you were talking about hover girls and I came running

I just caught up like yesterday because I'm sick so I've spent the whole day reading comics, also I picked up a physical copy from geneva at c2e2 and that's what got me started on the series!

What stands out to me so much is the characters, jalissa and kim are total opposites, and it's really interesting to see them interact with each other. also the little things in the background that tell more about the characters, like jalissa's love for soap operas and kim's references ahaha

RebelVampire

So time for me to jump into the chat. What I like about the beginning is that it starts you off with this sort of beautiful artwork and magical feel, only to drop the mundane on you with the coffee shop and the obsession with ranking on social media. Something about how this starts really gives me this sort of more modern day magical girl feel that usually isn't quite there. Like it's a bit gritty feeling cause life is gritty, and I like that. As for favorite moment in the comic so far, I'm partial to when the girls discovered their powers. I like how it just sort of happened, and the different reactions they had to it. It was both magical and funny. Also for the reasons below. My favorite character is Jalissa, no content. Jalissa is basically my spirit animal. Doesn't want fame, just wants to catch up on the soaps, but somehow winds up with more energetic people. All of Jalissa's reactions to everything are great and I love it. For characters interacting, really it has to go to Jalissa and Kim. They're such polar opposites I think you'd have to try to NOT enjoy it. But either way, that opposites thing really just makes their interactions endearing and interesting since going in you know they'll disagree and yet somehow wind up doing the same thing together anyway. So I really enjoy that about their relationship.

As for the art, I really just love the color design combined with the style. It has a very whimsical feel that works for the abundant blue schemes and I really just adore every bit of the atmosphere it creates. For themes, I like that the comic explores ego. Like that moment where Kim asked if she was getting too full of herself really hit home. And I like that the comic kind of explores that even if you know that you might get egotistical and all high and mighty, its not the easiest thing in the world to stop either. For the story's overall content, I'm just gonna point to what I liked about the beginning. I like that its a bit more mature, modernized magical girl story where the magical girls are adults. That's probably just bias in that I'm an adult so I relate more to adults.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. What do you think Jalissa’s backstory and relationship with her family is? How do you think Jalissa will continue to change as the story progresses, and what will Kim’s role be in it? Further, how will Kim change?

10. Why do you think Kim was suddenly possessed, and how dangerous are they? Can Kim be saved from it? Additionally, why was the person who possessed Kim surprised Jalissa also had powers?

11. Do you think Jalissa and Kim will succeed as magical girls and become popular? Why or why not? Additionally, how might this change the future plans each has decided upon for their career?

12. What do you think this comic teaches us about pursuing our dreams and responsibility? What has been your favorite moment in the comic so far that deals with these themes? Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

gee

Hello CTP! This is the creator of HoverGirls c: I want to thank you all for taking the time to read and discuss this comic! I bet you're all pros at what makes a good story, so it's really humbling to know that it's liked so far. I'll be happy to answer any q's about story, chars, etc. And it was super nice to finally meet you @mcapriglione (Falconhyrste) and hope you feel better!

mcapriglione (Falconhyrste)

Aaaaa hey welcome to the chat @gee !

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

Ok I just finished reading the entire comic start to finish. I have to say I'm not only impressed by the wonderful art and refreshing color scheme that makes me think of wild summer, but amazed that I find myself invested in this story! Usually it's not my cup of tea at all, but Hover Girls are going to clearly be the exception. I'm adding this to my comic bookmarks The first thing I have to give my kudos for is the sheer character design and characterization. I had sincere, and in Kim's case, almost visceral reactions to both girls, and the Korean guy (his name sounds Korean). While Jalissa intrigued me from the start, Kim got under my skin to the point I found her insufferable! It is only in the last few pages with her backstory flashback that I somewhat feel sympathy for her. I love the interaction between these two, and also how the story is paced so that we get to gradually become aware of more layers and nuance in the relationship they have. Jalissa's love and concern for Kim was clear to me from the start, while Kim's not so much. She (Kim) came across to me as immature, self-centered and inconsiderate. Later, when we see more of their history, I got to see the concern and love from Kim's side too. That's excellent writing to go with the excellent art. I also really like the premise with the alien creatures! I am intrigued and want to know more. Finally, I want to talk about the humour in the dialogue and the art in general. I love how there's a streak of black humour throughout the comic. My favourite character is (in case you didn't infer it yet) Jalissa, but I like the entire cast. They need each other to organically bounce off each other and develop. And lastly, I have to mention the really fun brand names and soap titles. Always makes me grin. Wonderful work @gee !(edited)

RebelVampire

I get the impression that Jalissa was a typical delinquent and that her parents werent around much - hence the delinquency. And so I imagine it's a bit strained at the best of it. I think Jalissa moving is her attempt to turn things around, and I think that is what will happen. Jalissa will become more responsible, take more of a sense of duty, etc. Which is what I think will happen with Kim, along with a healthy dose of gaining some humility. As for why Kim was suddenly possessed, maybe the weather? Regardless, 100% I'm sure Kim can be saved. Only bad villains monologue so Kim got taken over by a bad villain. As for why Jalissa's powers are a surprise, probably a lack of communication due to alien bureaucracy. Jalissa and Kim will definitely succeed as magical girls if you tone down expectations to be heroes who fight crime as opposed to what we see in every anime where they fight and just are completely fine and sparkly. As for becoming popular, maybe for a bit, but honestly, probably not. The internet is fickle so sure they might get a viral video....but then everyone will move on. I think it will mostly only change Jalissa's plans as she's finds there are more important things in the world than soaps. As for what the comic teaches about pursuing our dreams is that it's hard. My favorite moment is actually Kim checking if anyone liked the pic and it was just Jalissa. The world is saturated with talent, and even if you have the drive, the skills, etc., getting noticed is kind of a slog. But I think Kim shows us at least might as well keep trying.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I had the opposite reaction as @Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight) ! Jalissa irritated me at first, while I liked Kim. But then, when I saw Jalissa's genuine kindness, I liked her more, and when Kim started showing her flaws- how she's kind of self-centered and naive, I started to like her less. That's not to say I think this comic has bad writing, though! I like how the author has given everyone such realistic flaws. I went through a lot of cycles of liking and disliking the characters, and I think that reflects how it feels as you get to know some people irl. These characters are complex!

Seeing stoic Jalissa get truly angry at Kim was powerful.

I like the detail of Jalissa keeping her bat in her backpack's water bottle holder

"Only bad villains monologue so Kim got taken over by a bad villain. "

Rebel, that made me laugh

I think it's true too(edited)

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

+ü´´´´´´b n#ä+ß

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) it's exactly that we get different and real reactions to these characters that is the proof of excellent writing. We react differently, but we react as if they were real people and that's an absolute win!

mathtans

Woo, my schedule's eased a bit and this looked interesting. For the discussion prompts...

1. The beginning set things up well in terms of a quickie fight and then the characters and city situation. There was humour in that too. Good tone.

2. Fave moment, as far as plot was probably Jalissa interacting with blonde boy (sorry, forget the name) in particular because it seemed to be foreshadowing. Fave moment for relatability was the phone message with "Get to the point" because I SO relate to that.

3. Tough call on character. Both mains have good qualities and I don't feel I know the others well enough yet. I suppose Jalissa for her straightforward nature and sticking to her guns (like about dresses).

4. I liked Jalissa and Blonde Boy interacting, funny enough, as I said earlier. The cousin banter is good but the former stood out somehow.

5. The art's a neat blend of emphasis in some places and less in others; also interesting how the hair is done. Not sure why that sticks out.

6. I'm very bad at noticing themes. It's neat showing what "magical girls" do in their off hours. Also the troubles with getting noticed.

7. Story's clever, and I felt suspicious of Blonde Boy from him being around during the powers acquisition, which seems to be paying off. Nice to see ladies of colour too.

mathtans

8. Comic's got a bit of everything. Magic, mystery, slice-of-life... a reader can probably gravitate to something.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic? Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

mathtans

9. Jalissa seems to be someone who grew up in a difficult situation and needs to blow off steam sometimes. I'm reminded of the time she punched the wall - but then within a day went to get the materials needed to fix it. I feel like she had an unhappy home life with no real outlet or people to talk to about it. Maybe the fighting evil will help, or at least give her a sense of accomplishment. Kim needs to be a bit more grounded in reality, and I suspect will, although at the same time you kind of hate to see it happen, like the death of innocence or something.

10. I wondered if possession was always part of the plan against Kim (once it happened), and that's why the water beings were around, like they're trying to get access to the powers... though it's seeming like it was always something inside her, she was simply able to suppress the feeling for a time. Until she was at a low point emotionally.

Actually, I always thought BlondeBoy had something to do with the attacks, and in the scene between him and Jalissa (the earlier one in the alley) you saw hint of blue in the art, and one wonders whether he was acting normally. I wasn't sure if it was a subconscious thing or a conscious thing. Now I wonder if Kim wasn't manifesting the items herself on some subconscious level, wanting something to defeat. Though maybe he still had a hand in it too.

Of course, maybe the weather has something to do with it too, as Rebel remarked on.

mathtans

11. I feel like their power as magical girls is possibly tied to the presence (or at least strength) of the enemy, otherwise why wouldn't it make the news more? (Granted, could be obliviousness by the populace, but this seems to be reinforced by the current plot elements.) As such, their magical days seem numbered... unless they could fight against regular mundane foes? I dunno. The world doesn't seem to care much about supernatural either.

mathtans

Maybe they should change their name? Hovering doesn't sound too aggressive, and I don't think they do it that much anyway. Granted, DampGirls isn't catchy, and H2OGirls is a bit clinical. ^.^

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

I love this comic! The two main characters play incredibly off each other, and there's lots of great comedic moments. My fav is Jalissa.

I wonder if it is the weather that's causing these possessions? Because, like, the flying fish attacks in general are tied to the rain. Maybe particularly rough rainstorms cause possessions? I feel like the thing that possessed Kim and the boy was what brought about the powers in the first place - the energy that came down from the sky on the beach. It's odd how the blonde dude didn't seem to use powers but got possessed first, while Kim uses her powers the most and got possessed second... maybe Jalissa has an easier time resisting because she has the strongest will?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

@snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights) I don't think Jalissa can get possessed- Bob said that his soul was split in two, and Jalissa got the powers while Korean guy got the mind

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

ah yes, that's true

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

@mathtans I like "Hovergirls"! It's cute and catchy

gee

The title I still don't 100% like, TBH. I legitimately thought on it for a week before starting on this comic and still couldn't think of anything better XD

RebelVampire

What I'm most looking forward to in the comic is probably just more Jalissa in general and finding out why Jalissa is the way Jalissa is. Overall though, this is a beautiful comic with a great combination between modernization and magical girls with just the right hint of maturity that makes it more appealing for an adult. Definitely would recommend to adult fans of magical girl stories!

mathtans

To be clear, I had no issue with the title of the comic... with some comics there's only an offhand reference too. I guess I was more picturing the ladies arguing, were Jalissa to get more into it.

As to the rest of the questions, I think the comic can show that reality is somewhere between the two of them (though they do play off each other very well) as far as dreams and responsibility go. I'm vaguely curious to know whether the alien might be having a positive (or negative?) influence on BlondeBoy, who seemed a bit of a jerk from the lens of the others.

The world building is well done too, like I could even see spinoffs... these aliens apparently just sent a couple emissaries to Earth, maybe there's some sort of space force out there fighting too. Maybe they see Kim's videos and want to recruit her. Or hire her for public relations. idk.

Anyway, looks great, definitely an interesting read and nice showcasing of things you don't see other places, best with it!

gee

Huge thank you all CTP group for giving HoverGirls a read! I cannot thank you enough for giving your time and thoughts on this story and it’s been incredibly helpful and encouraging!!

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

It was a great read, gee!

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about HoverGirls this week! Please also give a special thank you to Geneva Bowers for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked HoverGirls, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://hovergirls.com/

Geneva’s Store: https://gdbee.store/

Geneva’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gdbeeart

[abdicatedarchive]

nessvul vs. edcom || eddie and vanessa

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: litwaks arcade and the icecream place // spring 2021.

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: eddie x vanessa.

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒: none.

𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒: eddie runs into vanessa unexpectedly after a bad day. it becomes one of his favorite days of all time.

Vanessa loved coming to the arcade, of course she had a gaming system set up and it was top of the line but nothing was better than this ambience. Marvel vs. Capcom: infinite was the game she choice to play today. Beating multiple people with Morrigan alone she was feeling herself. People looked at her and assumed she didn't know how to play, one person told her she looked to soft to be into video games. That was dumb. She just smiled, batted her lashes and destroyed them. "Okay who next, I promise to go easy on you." She clapped her hands, having a ball.  

Eddie had been at the arcade for a while, playing his comfort game. There was nothing like playing Dragons Lair. It brought him back to when his step-dad was trying to get to know him. So when he would ask what Eddie specifically wanted to do once a month ... Eddie always chose the arcade. He didn't want his new dad to teach him to ride a bike or anything like that, he wanted the crowd funding (aka a guilty guy dating his mom) to improve his experience. Eddie had been staring at his friend for a while. She was one of those really cool people that Ricki had introduced himself to, someone Eddie would never have the confidence to approach. But now they were friends. And it turns out she was even cooler than just being a hot girl. She was into all the stuff that they were into. He glanced over to see that the que of people who had lined up to play against her had settled down. Ed heard the call for who was next, and this was his moment. His hands were a little sweaty from being glued to the arcade machine, so he wiped them off on his jeans and headed over to her. "Hey Nessa" said Eddie as casually as possible. She's your friend dude, chillax, he thought to himself. "No need to go easy, I want to get absolutely wrecked" he said with a smile. He had played plenty of Marvel vs Capcom, but this was clearly her game of choice.

The skatepark and the arcade was her first stop even before checking in and doing the tours and the other welcome things. After that she was in the arcade atleast twice a week. At first most people didn't take her seriously, she wore designer clothes and they said she looked like she should be in a mall or a club somewhere. It made her happy to show the nay sayers just how wrong about her they were. Even entering some of the tournaments when it suited her not always winning but being a force to be reckoned with. Hearing her name Ness looked over and smiled brightly at him. "Eddie!" She hugged him before returning ro the controls. "I am in love with that whole sentence." She focused back on the screen. Nessa had met Eddie through a mutual friend and she was sure he would take one look at her and think she was not his cup of tea. She was happily wrong. "Finally someone who can give me a challenge and not just try and check me out the whole time." Nessa was being dramatic she didn't mind it, it was just thay they made it obvious. "We should make this interesting if I win, you have to buy me a well deserved ice cream and brownie."

Eddie smiled when she got all excited, he had done it right. "Totally dude, eyes on the prize" he said, fuck, why did I call her dude? Eddie thought to himself, stupid!. He brushed it off, he was going to be fine. They were friends and that was good. No reason to mess anything up by getting himself rejected. She might not look like a gamer, but she had the heart of one. If she wasn't in this packaging, Eddie probably would have been obsessed in a more realistic way. He just knew she was too far out of his league to even really worry about getting a shot, but then she basically proposed a date after this. "I don't want to take your money, but I'm more than happy to" he said with a laugh, they were going to hang out after this. That was cool. They didn't really ever hang out without Ricki there. He felt his heart rate pick up, but this was about the game. It was focus time. Eddie didn't usually take well to losing, but he figured losing to her best game wasn't too much of an ego hit. He put his hands on the controllers, "Ready when you are" he said giving her a thin lipped smile.

Nessa liked that Eddie didn't treat her like she was some spoiled princess. Maybe cause he didn't know that side of her? Nah she carried that around like a badge of honor. She was a little take back by being called a dude no one ever in her life has called her that but she thought it was cute. "Oooh I love it when you talk shit, so much more satisfying when you lose." She picked her characters. Eddie was cute like could be pretty popular cute but he was smart and the guys she knew never hung out with guys smarter than themselves. Vanessa was smart and she was pretty, plus her parents had money so she could do whatever she wanted. She loved that. Looking over her team again she nodded feeling comfortable in her selection. She moved her hair behind her ear so it wouldn't distract her.  "Let's do this." She pressed the start button and started the fight.

The real reason Eddie treated her like one of the guys is that he didn't really know any other way to do it. If he pursued her, both him and Ricki would probably lose a friend. "I'm just a simple man who likes free ice cream" he joked, putting his hand over his heart, "humbled already, and looking forward to you being humbled". Eddie selected his team and focused in on the game. She wasn't even here, just an NPC like usual. No pretty girl sitting next to him at all, no pretty nails or nice perfume. Just Ed and an old arcade game. The game began, and he put up a good fight but she ultimately did win. There was a lot of yelling, they were probably the loudest people in there. He let out an exhausted breath after they were done, "Fair is fair. Ice cream and a brownie from me to you" he said as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Me humbled?" She scoffed playfully. Tossing her hair over her shoulders she looked him and flashed him her sweetest smile. "I can taste my victory now." She started looking at the screen. Nessa liked being able to be competitive without being judged. Eddie always matched her energy when it came to playing. Jumping and clapping her hands when she won she looked over him. "Yessir, I humbly accept." She teased. "Before I forget, I went to text you last night and I don't have your number. I wanted to know of you wanted to do D&D. I was going to ask Ricky too." She grabbed her purse and slid the things strap onto her shoulder. " I know you two are a pair." She wasn't sure if they were dating or just really good friends.

She looked cute when she had won, not that she didn't always. Eddie smiled when she remembered that he had mentioned D&D offhandedly. "Yeah man, that would be fucking amazing" he said, not thinking about his language again. Why did he keep reaffirming that she was a man? Clearly not a man. He knew he was gonna beat himself up over that later tonight when he was trying to sleep. "Yeah, has Ricki told you the backstory on that? So we're sort of related in the least related way possible" he said as the two headed out of the arcade. The night air was kind of cold and he had a light jacket with him so he passed it to her nonchalantly. "So his bio dad that helped his moms get pregnant is my step dad. He's never been like in the family, but I like to think he's my brother" he said, giving the shortest version of it that he could.

Every time she hung out with Eddie she got a warm feeling in her body.  She wasn't sure why though, but she did know that he always had her smiling and she actually liked that. " We just need to find some time do campaigns and stuff. I'm free all summer." She wasn't going back home to be bored and she could start the next semesters work a little bit early  "No. He didn't." She felt dumb for her assumption after he told her. " Honestly I thought you two were like together, together." She tried not to laugh. "I'm so sorry babe. It's just that yall are always together and I don't know." She touched his arm. "I'm glad that you guys are close. It's cute."

"Yeah I'm just doing some papers and stuff for kids in summer classes, but other than that I'm free" said Eddie, he was excited about what summer with more friends than just Ricki was going to look like. "It actually happens a lot. We have couple energy apparently, but just best friends" he clarified with a nervous laugh. Did Nessa think he was gay? Well he wasn't not gay, he is bi. But still. Just another little friendzone moment as they were heading down the street to the icecream parlor. He opened up the door for her, "after you" he said as he gestured her to go in.

"Oh good So i won't be alone this summer. Most people are doing the summer camp thing." She shook her head. " I'm kind of hyped were gonna chill. I love Ricky to death but we need to chill just the two of too." She looked up at him. "Unless you don't want to." She hoped that wasn't the case. "I see that I misunderstood but I think it's cute how close you guys are. "She walked into the parlor. "Thank you babe." She went to the counter and ordered a ice cream they could share. "Free for the cute couple." The older lady said giving a wink to Eddie.

This girl wanted to hang out with Eddie one on one? Now this, this was something different. "I'm down, for sure" he said, swallowing hard afterwards. His throat felt really dry. The woman at the register thought they were a couple. How could she possibly think that when Eddie was so awkward. It made him feel pretty good about himself though, like maybe he wasn't. His haircut was in right now, fun when the things you were bullied for in middle school become trendy according to tiktok. "Thank you so much, this one drags me all over town but I insisted we come here" he said with a laugh as he put a big tip into the tip jar. The two headed to the back booth, and Eddie was very confidently ignoring the fact that he was lactose intolerant. The small things you do.

Nessa was happy that he agreed, she didn't want to be bored all summer since most people left and did the counselor thing. She liked kids just not enough to spend hours around them, especially in that summer heat she wasn't sure her hair would agree. She wasn't going to correct the woman it got her a free snack and he looked happy to go along with it. She couldn't help but smile, she shrugged flipped her hair, "I'm going to start listening to him, he knows how to make me happy in more than one way." She winked and watched the lady giggle and her face turned red.  She sat down next to him. " You still owe me, you got lucky with the free snack."

Eddie let out a laugh at Nessa's comment, absolutely uncomfortable at the prospect but intrigued at the idea that he could actually be seeing her. As they sat down next to each other, he nodded, "I do still owe you. A bet is a bet" said the boy. He liked the idea of hanging out with Vanessa again, just the two of them. He hadn't been too painfully awkward yet. "What are you doing this summer? If you're not doing the counselor thing?" he asked, hoping that was a normal enough question.

"I love it when a man can keep his word." she said simply, "Just got to tell me if I get too clingy, I don't want to ruin anything you got going on." she didn't know to much about him or the things that he did besides the whole paper thing. She knew he was smart and liked games. "Do you want some?" she pointed to the ice cream with her spoon. "I get intern at a company, but their pretty chill so I come and go as please. So i do what I need to then I bounce and hit the park or the beach.

Eddie took the other spoon and had a bite of ice cream, "I've got nothing going on really. Just having fun, writing papers and working on some projects. Personal projects, not projects for other people" he clarified. He didn't waste all of his potential on others. "That's cool" Ed responded as he took another bite of ice cream. "Is that typical for you?" he asked, "like a relaxed work environment. I feel like that suits you. No 9-5 for this lady" he said, realizing that he sounded like a total dork. There was nothing smooth about this encounter except for the ice cream, which was totally going to give him hell later.

Nessa nodded as she took a bite of the brownie. "Wow I have like one solid thing and you have like a whole list." She had to hand it to him not many people their age wanted to do more than just chill out for the summer. She nodded as she wiped off some ice cream with her thumb off the corner of his mouth. "Relaxed and gorgeous is my preferred work environment." She teased. A airy chuckle left her lips. " You get me. That 9 to 5 is so 1999." She put down her spoon. " I have a question I have to ask, do you have a significant other that's going to be mad you're spending your summer with me?"

Her hand was touching his face, and how did even her hands smell good?! It was intoxicating. "I mean thank god 9 to 5's do exist, or we wouldn't have gotten the Dolly anthem of the century" said Eddie, a natural smile forming on his face. His cheeks were a little flushed from the physical contact. Now she was asking if he had a significant other, and his cheeks burned redder. "Oh nobody, just vibin right now" said the boy, wondering why that was the verb he chose. And if he truly had been vibin with being single, then he had been straight chillin for the last 20 years. "What about you? Cool guy going to be coming around, upset you're playing DND with a bunch of dorks and skaters?" he asked, trying to see what the situation was. Any and all advice Ricki had given him in the last 20 years falling to the wayside as he forged his own awkward path.

"You listen to Dolly Parton? That's a  huge check in my book." She didn't know to many people that even knew who that was. He kept surprising her, she liked it. It was nice to be around people who weren't trying to impress other people. He blushes, she wasn't sure she saw anyone blush around her. She bit her lip, was it weird she liked that but not in a friend way, like a crush.'You vibe?" She raised her brow in amusement. She wondered if he was really out here vibing with other people or did he mean it in another way. "No, I'm single, single. No one is even looking my way. Its summer and no one is trying to...well you know with me.  It's weird. Hold on sir I also  play dnd, games and skate does that make me a dork too?" She shook her head or am I not cool enough for the whole dork squad.

"Of course I listen to Dolly. She invented theme parks, literacy for children, and fake boobs all while being a really nice person. Dolly Parton is the greatest living legend of all time, take a back seat Bezos. Earth already has a savior" Eddie replied, the statement flowing out of him at a rate which he could not stop. He kind of shrugged when she asked him if he vibed. Vibing wasn't really the term to explain hopeless romantic turned cynic turned hopeless romantic every second of the day. Wake up? Love is dead. See a pretty person on the street? Love is alive. The birds are chirping. Life is here to live it. Don't talk to her? Love is dead. It was a vicious cycle with a very quick return rate. "Queen of the dorks" said Eddie with a kind smile. She really was queen of the dorks. Vanessa enjoyed everything that they liked, and did it while being hot and funny and smart. It was intimidating, but at least the dork stuff made her feel human to him. Like she was one of the guys, just in hot girl packaging.

Nessa listened as she took a bite of the brownie. He had a point Dolly was iconic and the whole world should appreciate her more.  "You're like a true fan, that's kinda hot Eddie." She complimented. He was unapologetically himself and she could learn from that. She was too but he was a better person than her. He wasn't materialistic or unrationally dramatic.  She was happy he didn't see that part of her ge might not want to hang out with her. Ricki was way more laid back so she didn't care he wasn't going to stop being her friend but Eddie was more together. "I like that." She looked at him proudly. She liked being called a Queen mostly, it boosted up her ego. " Thank you, that just made my whole week." She gave him a sweet smile. She wondered if he was this nice to all hos friends or just her? Did it matter?!

He laughed when she said he was hot. Eddie was not hot, at least he assumed not because no one had ever taken an interest in him. It was kind of hard to hit on people, especially when his wingman was really charismatic and cool. Girls always went for Ricki, it was part of the cycle. Like a girl? She goes for your brother who is not your brother. "I'm just saying the truth" he said, grinning at her. This was a moment he was going to remember. A moment where he didn't have any rage inside of him. Just Ed. "This campaigns gonna be a lot of work. Are you ready for the grind?" he teased her. A good DND campaign meant a lot of hours on the table and behind the scenes. Eddie realized he wasn't going to mind much, especially if she was going to be there. He couldn't help but stare at her, he liked her ears. Weird thing to be attracted to, but they were just so ... cute? Was Eddie having a stroke? Because it sort of felt like it.

Nessa ate some more of the ice cream saving him half the brownie. It was nice to see Eddie out of his element, usually he wasn't spotted without Ricki and if Ricki wasn't around she didn't know what he was doing. She adored Ricki but she didn't want to think about him now. She was sure that they probably didn't like it when people compare them to each other. "I'm so ready, so my parents rented me a  condo and i have a room dedicated to this, you can come by and see the set up and help me make it better." she looked over at him. "I mean obviously  we're going to have food but i don't know i it needs fairy lights. I'm trying to make it more cool and so much me." she knew they weren't going to want glittery and cute, soft and comfortable maybe. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at him, "You okay babe?" she could tel he was staring, omg was their something on my teeth or my face? she thought as she panicked internally.

"Yeah I just was disassociating there for a second" said Eddie, the light coming back into his eyes. "I'd love to come over and see it. Even help make dinner, or pick up the takeout. Whatever works for everyone" the boy replied as he took a large spoonful of brownie. "I feel like whatever your vibe is for how you want to decorate is going to be great, don't even think about the boys. It's your space" he encouraged her. If there was one thing he knew nothing about it was how to decorate a space. His whole room at home was just covered in tech and LED lights. Sometimes it was hard to even get to the bed with all the boxes of random things he was working on and had abandoned. Once something became too frustrating, he either broke it or he put it in a box or both. It wasn't exactly an effective system.

Was she that boring he was disassociating, at that moment she didn't know what that actual meant and she would have to to go and Google that later. "Wait can you cook?" She said a bit surprised, Nessa was good at alot of things but cooking was not one of them. "Maybe you could teach me something because honestly I can't cook to save my life."She wasn't even trusted to make scrambled eggs. She was thankful for her Doordash and cafeteria, or she would of starved. "No,I know I just don't want to suffocate you with vanilla candles and Lavender scented beanbag chairs. "Plus your opinion matters to me." Down to earth wasn't her thing she liked the whole drama of it all. Her board was rose gold and glittery.

Eddie smiled at her, "I was a busboy in high school. The kitchen guys let me make my own meals on long shifts. You pick up a few things" he replied, "I would be more than happy to help you out a little." He liked the idea of getting to spend more time with her, especially in her apartment. It would feel like playing couple to some degree. Eddie cocked his head to the side, "they make scented beanbag chairs?" he questioned, never having heard of such a thing ... but honestly it sounded kind of nice. "Anytime you want my opinion, just text me" Eddie encouraged, excited about the DND sanctuary this girl was putting together. She was so fucking cool, how did he ever even become friends with her? Well ... Ricki. But besides that.

Nessa never had a job before, her mother said she didn't have the temperament for someone telling her what to do. Nessa wasn't sure if that was true or not but she didn't question it." Thank you I think its a life skill that I desperately need to learn  if I ever plan on being truly independent or stuck on a island or a zombie apocalypse." She tapped her chin as she thought about it. "Yeah it's suppose to help mellow people out while they sit on them." She started to think it was too much, boys didn't care what things smell like. Well except for her, she always made sure she smelled good. " Don't tell me that and then get mad when I text you for every decision that I need help with." She said seriously. She looked at him and touched his arm softly.

"Cooking lessons it is. We can start easy with a bowl of cereal. I'm pro cereal into the bowl first, oat milk second" said Eddie, "but there are some crazy people that are milk first cereal second". He thought the whole idea was preposterous, but to each their own. Eddie thought about it for a second, "that sounds ... kinda nice actually" he responded in regards to the scented bean bag chair. He thought about how you could definitely get away with farting on it. Then she was touching his arm, and he felt his stomach drop. "Y-you can seriously hit me up anytime with questions" he said, stumbling a little on his words. She was touching him, and she smelled so good.

Nessa couldn't help but chuckle. "I can make cereal and I don't trust anyone that puts milk first, i'm pretty sure that they're psychopaths." she wasn't sure if that was true or not but it was a very strong belief of hers. "I'm thinking of something like Ramen or scrambled eggs. " she wasn't that thrilled to work with a stove but the thought also excited and gave her a reason to get cute aprons. "You'll love it as soon as you sit in them, its so comfy."  she knew they would love it and that the beanbags could be cleaned at a dry cleaners just in case sauce or something spilled on it.  "Just know you can't take it back now, this is now a sealed deal." she joked.

"Right? It's just so ridiculous, and what if there's a splash when you put the cereal in?" Eddie replied, doing his best to be normal like he was talking to one of the guys. Because that's what this was. She was one of the guys, just that one of his friends who smelled good and was really hot. "We can definitely start there" said the boy as he ran his hands through his hair. It was getting longer, maybe he should cut it. Would she like his hair if he cut it? Maybe just a trim, maintain the flow. "It's a pact" he said as he put out his hand to shake hers.

"I just don't get it like I pour enough for the cereal I poured but if you do it the other way then you might have to add more of one or the other and that's just too much extra work for cereal." she shook her head. "Good my parents are going to love you." she watched him run his hands through his hair. He had such nice hair, the volume alone was a dream. Would it be rude to just start playing in his hair, she just wanted to see i it was as soft as it looked. Snapping out of her thoughts she looked at his hand and touched his chin then shook his hand." Deal."

Eddie grinned when she touched his chin, thinking about how her parents would love him. He could do that. Meet someone's parents and be normal. Right? Maybe. Probably. Not likely. Perhaps. He was torn. "How about Friday, we start our first lessons?" he suggested, wanting to see her as soon as possible. But he had also heard Ricki say things like don't be too eager. So he was keeping his distance, four days was a good amount of time ... right? He was unsure, but their hands were still in the shake. He didn't know how to let go.

Vanessa wasn't sure she had plans on Friday, she might of gone shopping or maybe get her nails done, Maybe get her hair done. That wasn't a Friday thing it could be done any day and she looked goo regardless. "I will make time for you, we can do a little food shopping. It's going to be so cute." she said thinking of the instagram pics she post of her little adventure. She pulled her hand back and ran her fingers through his hair like she wanted to from the beginning." What conditioner do you use?"  this was rude right? she was already doing it though.

Spending time together was cute? What did that even mean? He knew she was cute and going to be there, but he didn't really think that spending time with him was a cute activity. Maybe cute in the pitying way. What was cute about the grocery store? His brain flatlined when she put her fingers in his hair, it felt so good to be in her space like this, "um" he said trying to remember what he even put in his hair. "It's a little douchey, but 2-in-1 caused my sister Natalie to flip out one time when she had to use my shower. So I use ogx coconut milk now, and I oil my hair once a week with the same brand" he said, because she genuinely wanted to know. Maybe they used the same one. He wanted her hands to stay in his hair, "you can do that whenever, consider it the other side to our texting agreement" he said almost robotically.

She didn't move her hands as she continued, taking his umm as her saying it was going to be cute. "I mean it like we're doing something cute together, Like I've never been grocery shopping so I imagine as it being cute. Not us cute we're hot." she wasn't sure how her explanation was going over with him, she didn't think she just wanted him to be walking around taking pics.  She wanted to explain it better but his hair was calming to her. "Text that to me later I'm going to try it." she slid a little bit closer to him, I use Dr carol's deep conditioner and a hair mask i make myself but it doesn't make me want to play in my hair like this." she looked at hi realizing how close she had gotten. "I could do this all day but i just realized how uncomfortable this might be for you."

Hot? She think's they're hot? He's hot? This day was overwhelming. He would touch her hair, but he had heard from his sisters that touching a girls hair could be bad. Hand oils and things, and hair washing schedules. A whole thing. "Nah, I'm good. Just touch my hair whenever you want or need to" he said as he took a breath. "May I touch yours? To see the softness difference" he asked, consent was very important to him. It made him feel like a dork having to ask before anything, but he wasn't exactly the maker of grand moves. Not that this was a move. Well, he'd like it to be. But he wasn't going to get his hopes too high. He'd had a crush on her for a while, but he did his best to shove it down for the sake of everything. Usually his crushes sent him soaring, and he would burn out quick. This had been more of a slow burn.

Nessa could be a little self absorbed she knew she was hot, being rich and a spoiled  that gave her a certain kind of confidence.  Now she wasn't sure if it was her being into herself or it was forreal but she had a nagging feeling that he might actually like her. Why else would he let her play in his hair like this. "You're spoiling me." she teased. He didn't seem to mind so she wasn't about to make a fuss for something that she so obviously wanted to do.  "Go for it." she hadn't put any product in it, she just brushed it and left.  Lucky for her it curled up on it's own.  "If it didn't look like it before they definitely looked like a couple now. She didn't care  it wasn't like she knew any of these people and they should be so lucky to witness anything she was doing.

Eddie put his hand through her hair, realizing he had never been this close to a girl for so long. Laney had given him his first kiss earlier in the week, but that had only been a few moments. He had wanted his first kiss so that if he were to get to kiss someone (specifically Nessa) then he would be prepared. He had been pretty sulky about it for the last 10 years, but every time he caught feelings for a new girl the shame of not having his first kiss just skyrocketed. "It is soft" said Eddie, "but hair like this ... it's an art" he said, in a moment of fake cockiness. "I'm kidding, but forreal. Your hair is great". Was great a good way to describe someone's hair? He definitely could have given her a bigger compliment.

Vanessa liked her hair being played with it, it always made her feel calm and relaxed she didn't want him to stop. The only thing men wanted to do with her hair most of the time was pull it. Nothing was wrong with that and she liked it but this felt good, it was making her a little weak in the knees. "Thank you." She rolled her eyes at his comment. Oh that was cocky, she thought as she smirked. He was coming out of his shell. Her hair was great, marvelous if you will. She was very proud of it but she wasn't playing in her hair shebwas playing with his. " I think we should stop before the nice people here get a different kind of show." She winked pulling her hands away even though she didn't want to.

"And what kind of show is that?" he asked, almost naively. He thought he was sure what she meant, but he wanted the clarity on it anyways. Because if he was reading into this wrong he was going to look like a total loser. As he said this he took his hand out of her hair but stayed sitting just as close. Part of his brain told him to back up, but he didn't want to. She smelled so good, his brain was shutting down.

She wasn't sure if he really didn't catch on to what she was saying or he just wanted her to tell him.  She studied him for a second before leaning in so no one else could hear what it is that she was saying. She started whispering some sexual things that would make a nun blush red. Slowly pulling away she moved back tobher spot . "That kind of show."She bit her lower lip. She didn't worry about embarrassing herself with what she said.

Eddie's ears were glowing red, and his cheeks grew red to match. He took a hard swallow and a deep breath "that's exactly what I was thinking" he replied, letting out an awkward laugh. He really didn't know what to say. Eddie rubbed his hand on the back of his neck and looked over at her. "You um... you do that often in the middle of the ice cream parlor?" he said, doing his best to make a joke. He was a funny guy, but his brain felt like it was on fire and all the blood in his body was definitely elsewhere.

Nessa watched as he turned red, like he got really red it made her smirk. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen anyone that red before she liked that she could make him do that. She wondered if she could do it again, she wanted to do it again. Nessa wasn't sure but she was going to see, you know for science. "Well." she moved closer to him her lips close to his, Nessa was always one to tease, she was known for it all through ice cream. "No but i'm more than willing to give it a go if you are." she whispered so only he could hear her.

Eddie looked down at her lips and then back up to her eyes. He thought about how he'd had his first kiss only a few nights ago. How he had wanted to get it out of the way so that he could do this. He could do this. "As long as it doesn't impact the party" said Eddie quietly in reference to their DND group, his hand touching the nape of her neck as he pulled her in for a small soft kiss. He looked back at her, she was so beautiful. He couldn't believe that had actually happened, that he had been able to kiss a girl like that. Vanessa was nothing like he'd ever met before.

She wasn't sure what he was going to do, he wasn't really an easy one to read. If this what mysterious guys were like, it was so much better than the ones who she could read like a book. Plus she never gave a guy like Eddie the time of day, she was shallow and went for the buff, jock types.  Maybe he could change that.  "I never let anything ruin my parties." She said truthfully, she had been waiting forever play DND, nothing was coming to change that. She was taken back by the kiss, his lips were so soft it felt almost unreal. "Wow." She whispered.

He was on cloud 9, this whole afternoon had been confusing as hell. Was he the kind of guy who just kisses the girl? What did it mean? Did it mean anything to her? It kind of was everything to him. His chest felt tight, he was so anxious about all of it. "Wow in the good way, right?" he asked insecurely, "because I'm always willing to try again". He wanted to kiss her again, he was worried he would never get the chance. Part of this felt like an elaborate prank, like Ricki was going to pop up any second and yell gotcha.

"I've never kissed anyone's who lips were as soft as yours. It's incredible." She said softly. " so yeah that wow was an amazing wow but I think you need a few follow up kisses just make sure." She looked at him, this time she initiated slipping her tongue between his lips. She wondered how many other girls he's kissed, how many other people got witness his lips on theirs. She could do this all day, it might lead to other things but maybe she shouldn't fuck it up  by being her.

For his first proper makeout, things seemed to be going well. Eddie mimicked her exact moves and put his tongue into her mouth, keeping his hand on the back of her neck while making sure not to tug on her much. He became very aware that while there were only a few people in here, this was a lot of PDA. Affection. He was receiving affection from Vanessa. This was already the most amazing day of his summer by far, and there was no way that he was going to top it. But he had to remain cool, girls like this did not like guys making a huge deal out of everything. They were in their 20s, he couldn't be a dweeb about this. "Do you want to get out of here? I think we might be overstaying our welcome" said Eddie with a smile as he looked around. He was glowing almost, his cheeks still red.

This was definitely the right way to start off her summer, making out with a hot guy who doesn't know that they are hot in front of people and making them uncomfortable.  Vanessa slid her fingers in his hair as she continued to kiss him. She knew all eyes on her but when wasn't that the case, that's how she liked it...it was part of who she was. She whined when he broke the kiss again. Her eyes moved to look on the side of her, he was right people were staring but it probably bothered him. She looked up and smiled. "Yeah, let's go." she pulled back and standing up, putting her hand into his. They had just made out hopefully holding hands was okay. Aha she did make him blush again. He was too cute when he blushed, not that he didn't have a reason. It was a steamy exchange.

Eddie wasn't a suave man, but having her hand in his made him feel on top of the world. Like he could do anything, so, once he held the door for her and they were both outside he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek before they kept walking and holding hands. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever met" said Eddie awkwardly as the thought came into his mind and out of his mouth before he could even think about whether or not he wanted to say it out loud. It was the truth, so he wasn't too embarrassed, but his ears that turned bright red were giving him away.

Nessa strutted out of the ice cream parlor and into the welcomed heat.  She looked up and smiled after he kissed her on her cheek. He was sweet, she didn't attract sweet, she attracted jerks and players. She was lost in her thought when she heard him speak. "Inside or out?" she inquired. Seeing how red he got was the best thin. She wondered how long until she wasn't able to do it anymore. "You're the only guy that treated me like this, sweet, like i'm more than  my jimmy choo's and Fenty lingerie." she admitted. "I like you Eddie." she said softly. She never liked admitting things but what was the harm since the were getting to know each other.

"My money is on both" said Eddie honestly. He liked that there was someone who understood him and his hobbies. Someone who could get down with the guys but could also embrace her femininity. "Well, not to play my cards too right or too wrong but I don't know what either of those things are" said Eddie, running his tongue over his teeth inside his mouth before cracking a smile. "I like you too, Vanessa. I can already tell this is going to be the best summer ever" he replied, swinging their hands a little. He felt normal, like he wasn't some alien tasked with the impossible of getting to know people. Like a regular human boy who liked a regular human girl.

"I'm still working on the inside part." being spoiled didn't exactly her a terrible person but she likes to call herself difficult. Anything she wanted she could get, her parents never told her no so she wasn't accustomed to hearing it and it ade her feel like she was better than most. A trait she carried all through her school years. "My shoes." she lifted up her leg and showed her heels. and my bra and make up." she pulled down her shirt to show her bra, winking as she fixed her clothing. "We can make it one that we can never forget." she moved in front of him, leaning up to kiss him again. Maybe this summer would be like the lays she liked, love, sex, pain, joy and she gets to be the main character.

Eddie looked over at her, "I think working on it is the mark of a good person. If you have nothing to work on then you're not being honest with yourself." Eddie had been in and out of therapy for years, but every time he got a new one it was always the promise that he was good if he would just keep working. He had a bit of a jolt when she showed him her bra, like a deer caught in headlights. Eddie took a deep breath and looked back as quickly as he could to make eye contact, "It's uh, nice makeup" he said, still a little flustered. Before he could even think much, she was kissing him again, and he moved his hands onto her waist, pulling her in and kissing her softly. "Can I walk you home?" he asked as the kiss broke.

She couldn't help but chuckle. "You sound like my therapist." she had to go to therapy not because her parents thought there was something  that she needed to work on but because there were complaints that she was a bully and her school said it was that or expulsion. She liked that he was surprised, he was not like any other guy that she was used to.  "Thank you, I'm glad you like it." she tossed her hair over her shoulder. His damn lips, why were they s damn soft. she thought to herself. "Yeah." she grinned. The last time someone walked her home was high school maybe if even that. She didn't know why but it was giving her butterflies in her stomach.

"This way?" Eddie asked before they started walking in the right direction. "So, weird question. But if you could go back to any day on your timeline and just get to watch for the sheer joy of it. What day would it be?" Eddie really liked the idea of perfect days. Sometimes he would only realize he was having the perfect day after it had already happened, but today he already recognized it. Well ... his afternoon hadn't been perfect but it had led him to Litwaks which led him to kissing a girl that he never thought he'd get the chance to kiss in this lifetime. So today definitely counted, every thing happens for a reason.

Nessa nodded, taking his hand again. "Hmm." Nessa said as she thought for a second. "Well when I was 9 my grandmother took me to this like garden slash park thing. She thought my parent were turning me into a diva. We sat under a cherry blossom tree talking, she taught me how to rollerblade, gave me these rollerblades that she drew blossoms on. They were used but oh they were perfect." she looked at the ground still smiling." It was the perfect day, but she passed soon after and my dad threw away the skates, so i learned how to skateboard until i got another pair." she shrugged it off. "What about you Eddie, what's your perf day?"

"There's nothing like a pair of already broken in skates" said Eddie before she shared that her grandmother had passed, "I'm really sorry to hear that. Maybe sometime you could paint cherry blossoms on your new skates" he suggested. People talking about death made him think about his dad. He felt like every day he remembered less and less about the man. "My perfect day to watch would probably be the last day of school in 8th grade. We had field day outside and it was just insane, and then Ricki and I went to the skatepark until after dark because we were technically high schoolers and our curfews had changed. I don't remember what we talked about, but I know I laughed so hard I thought I might have to go to the hospital because it hurt so bad" said Eddie, leaving out the detail that if he could watch a day back it would be this one. He would want to watch to see how he could pull off this caper again, to ensure that he wasn't making it all up.

She adored the skates, but her parents were snobs and though they came from old money they didn't believe on hand me downs or having used things. "I would but I can't draw plus it was knowing someone loved me enough to actually give me something sentimental instead of just the most expensive whatever." Vanessa loved being rich, and she loved her parents and she knew they loved her but their love languages was gifts and she liked acts of service and things like that. She smiled hearing his perfect day, it sounded perfect.  One of those days that you would remember in twenty years and smile at your youth. "I don't know if I'm entertaining enough to make you almost die laughing but I will make me my business to make a memory that you always want to come back to. Something you'll never forget." She squeezed his hand and jumped to kiss his cheek.

This day was folding out better than he could have ever imagined. "I think you already have" said Eddie with a smile as she kissed his cheek. He wasn't sure if she usually did this: the wholesome kind of dating. But it felt like he was really checking all the boxes at the moment. Eddie didn't necessarily identify as a hopeless romantic, but he was romantic comedy inclined. He mostly resonated with the first 30 minutes of the movie when people are awkward or fuck up. "You're really cool, ya know. For a geek" he teased her, running his thumb over hers as they held hands. He was starting to feel more comfortable, and able to open up. It wasn't like she was going to regret kissing him now, right? What if tomorrow she regretted it? It would feel like his whole ego was crumbling, she'd already done so much reparations to it tonight alone.

She blushed slightly, he was so sweet it was so unreal. That meant one thing something was wrong with him, maybe he had a temper or maybe he was no good in bed. Wait maybe he wouldn't want to take you into bed. Nah she was gorgeous why wouldn't he want to get up in her sheets.  Maybe he was too good for her and he would realize it.  Why was she overthinking this, he was walking her home, they made out in a ice cream parlor in front of old people that meant something to some people. "If you give me a chance I bet I can one up this day." she smiled, playfully hitting him. "Geek?" she scoffed." The hottest geek you know." she stuck out her tongue, She didn't want this day to end. She would not bet one of her Birkin bags that she would be here with him, happier than she had been in awhile.

"One up this day? I'd like to see you try" Eddie said with a little surprise in his voice. This day was already too good for him. Any more and he would be outed as desperately inexperienced. He didn't want her to know that. "You took the words right out of my mouth" he agreed with her as he shoved her a little as they took up most of the sidewalk. It felt like the end credits, but he knew this was only the start. He was going to fuck up and then it was all going to be over, and Ricki was going to shake his head and tell him that he shouldn't shit where he eats. The friendships between them and Vanessa severed. And it would be all his fault because he wasn't enough. But for now, he thought he just might be.

Taking his hand and twirling she smiled at him. "Just you wait Mr Dalton, you'll be fifty married with children and you'll be sitting telling your grandchildren about this summer. How a girl named Vanessa Samson was one of the most exciting things to ever happen to you." She walked in front of him taking his arms and wrapping them around her as they reached her apartment building. She hoped they would still be friends at least for that long but Nessa was a realist. She believed in the magic of summer and all that. You find love in heartache or whatever, she believed she was around to be memories. Anything more or longer didn't seem real to her, she knew they would bore of her. She didn't want him to, she wanted him to like her.. always.

He smiled at the idea. "I hope you're still around to tell them yourself" said Eddie hopefully, there was no reason to be realistic about anything. They could be empty promises ... but they didn't need to be. "This you?" he asked as he looked up at the apartment building, "nice digs". He wasn't going to invite himself up. He didn't want to ruin the perfect night by fumbling around or telling her that he didn't know anything about how to make her feel good. He was gonna go home with a smile on his face and then frantically be online all night looking for the solution to his problems. Eddie pulled her in for another kiss before he knew he was heading out, "I'll call you" he said with a smile as he pulled his baseball cap out of his back pocket and put it on his head backwards.

Her smile spread when he said that, a girl could only hope.  She was going to daydream about them in 50 years given secret looks if they were married or hooking up at the reunion. She was going to call her mother and annoy her with her head in the clouds, but this time she could actually her that he's a good guy.  She looked back at her building and nodded, she had a nice condo her parents paid for, so much better than dorm living. "Yes it is, remember how to get here for our little lessons." she smiled. She wondered if he wanted to come up, while she kissed him like she didn't want to stop. She wanted to whine but she nodded okay and walked backwards, watching him walking away and bumping into the door. Squealing as she went into the building hoping he didn't hear her. //END